Coating cartridge holder



Feb. 20, 1968 w. CALLAGHAN 3,369,474

COATING CARTRIDGE HOLDER Filed Feb. 20, 1967 2 Sheets-'Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

wwiw

KAN/MA I m Feb. 20, 1968 w. CALLAGHAN 3,369,474

COATING CARTRIDGE HOLDER Filed Feb. 20. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

0;. 4: w w W United States Patent 3,369,474 COATING CARTRIDGE HOLDER William I. Callaghan, 9296 Johnnycake Ridge Road, Mentor, Ohio 44060 Filed Feb. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 617,238 Claims. (Cl. 95--89) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A holder for carrying a cartridge which holds an absorbent material which in turn carries a fluid for coating the face of photographs (for example). The holder is a generally U-shaped unitary member with one side having a channel to hold and carry the cartridge and having an ejection member for ejecting the same when desired. The other side of the U-shaped member normally extends at a small acute angle with respect to the first mentioned side so a photograph may be easily inserted between the same and the absorbent material of the cartridge. The two sides can then be pushed together to firmly engage the absorbent material with the face of the photograph.

The present invention relates in general to an applicator apparatus and more particularly to such applicator for coating a fixing agent on a photographic print or for coating and moistening flat web like material with other mediums.

In the field of instant photography a fixing solution must be applied to the photographic print surface in order to preserve its quality. Well known means incorporating an absorbent pad saturated with a fixing solution is presently utilized to coat the photographic print, There is, however, some difficulty in using this coating means such as the spreading of the coating material on objects beyond the boundaries of the photographic print and the possibility of picking up dirt fragments from the surrounding print boundaries thereby transferring the dirt fragments to the photographic print in the form of inclusions or scratches.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for holding a coating or wetting means (coating cartridge) in such a manner as to permit the coating or wetting of a flat web shaped object without contacting boundaries outside of the objects surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus into which an existing coating means can be inserted as a cartridge thereby allowing the cartridge to be replaced when it becomes spent.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for ejecting the spent coating cartridge.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that while coating the photographic print will also remove the curl in the print thus producing a flat coated finished print.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of this invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view of the device of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the device;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of the device;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken generally along the line 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of the device with the coating cartridge inserted. This view also demonstrates the method by which this device would be utilized in coating a photograph or other flat web like material;

FIGURE 6 is a partial elevation view of the device "ice showing the coating cartridge in position and in the dotdash position showing the direction of insertion of the cartridge; and

FIGURE 7 is a view taken generally along the line 77 of FIGURE 6.

The applicator apparatus of the present invention may, as discussed hereinabove, be used for coating or wetting many types of fiat web like material. The description hereinafter given will be limited to use of the apparatus for coating photographic prints; however, it will be appreciated that the device is susceptible to the broader use discussed hereinabove.

The applicator apparatus and specifically the applicator apparatus for coating photographic prints in the present disclosure has been indicated generally by the reference number 10 and includes in combination wall means 12 which defines a generally U-shaped enclosure as viewed in side elevation. The enclosure which is defined may be said to have first and second end portions 13 and 14 respectively, and first and second side members 28 and 29 respectively, The wall means 12 also includes side wall means 15 and 16 respectively which serve to define a cartridge holding channel therebetween. A guideway 17 is formed in the upper part of wall means 12 in first side member 28. This guideway 17 defines a through slot which accommodates an ejection slide or member 18 which may be manipulated within the confines of guideway 17. The ejection slide 18 also acts as a physical stop when inserting a coating cartridge 30. The bottom portion of wall means 12 in second side member 29 incorporates a through slot 1% which prevents pick-up of the coating solution in the bottom portion of wall means 12. Stiiiening ribs 20 are incorporated on both sides of wall means 12 extending from intermediate point 21 to intermediate point 22. The side wall means 15' and 16 are inclined toward each other from wall means 12, this angle of inclination produces a positive holding action when coating cartridge 30 is inserted between sidewalls 15 and 16 and wall means 12. Wall means 12, between second end portion 14 and intermediate point 23 is inclined to a degree 24 which Will allow easy insertion of the photographic print 40 between the side member 29 and coating cartridge 30.

It will be noted in FIGURES 6 and 7 that the coating cartridge 30 includes a backing member 31 which holds an absorbent material 32 which in turn carries a fixing solution for a photographic print, The side walls 15 and 16 engage and securely hold the cartridge by engaging the backing member 31 and it will be seen that the material 32 extends below the backing member 31 so as to be accessible to a material to be coated.

In operation, the coating cartridge 30 is inserted between side walls 15 and 16 and positioned in contact with the ejection slide 18 in its extreme backward position (FIGURE 1). The applicator apparatus 10 is grasped in one hand 25 and the photographic print 40 in the other hand 26 as shown in FIGURE 5.

By applying pressure simultaneously on the upper and lower portions of wall means 12 and pulling the applicator'apparatus 10 across the photograph 40 to be coated, a thin film of fixing solution will be metered over the surface of the photograph 40. As the applicator apparatus 10 is pulled across the photograph 40 a downward force causing the photograph 40 to break over the lower edge of wall means 12 will cause a reverse curl in the photographic print 40 thus producing a straightening action.

The coating cartridge 30 may be removed from the applicator apparatus by applying pressure against the ejection slide 18 which in turn forces the coating cartridge 30 outwardly toward the open end 27 of side walls 15 and 16.

It will thus be seen that an applicator apparatus has been provided whereas one side of a flat web like object,

such as a photograph may be coated or wetted conveniently without spreading the coating or wetting solution on boundries outside of the objects surface and the applicator apparatus incorporates as a feature an automatic straightening action on the photographic print.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for a coating cartridge used in coating fiat material including in combination first and second opposed side members, connecting means connecting said first and second side members together, said connecting means permitting said first and second side members to be pressed together and when released they return to substantially their original position, first and second side walls secured to said first side member and defining a cartridge holding channel, ejection means carried by said first side member and engageable with a cartridge in said holding channel to eject the same therefrom.

2. A holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second side walls are spaced from each other where secured to said first side member and taper generally toward each other as they extend away from said first side member.

3. A holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ejection means comprises a slot in said first side member within which an ejection member resides with a portion extending into said holding channel.

4. A holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second side member extends at a small acute angle with respect to said first side member.

5. A holder for a coating cartridge having a backing member which secures and holds a material which carries a coating liquid including in combination a generally U- shaped member having first and secondside portions, said U-shaped member being formed of a unitary member and of such material that said first and second side portions can be pressed toward each other and when released will return to substantially their original position, said first and second side portions extending at a small acute angle with respect to each other, first and second tabs formed from the material of said first side portion and extending generally at right angles thereto and forming a cartridge holding channel therebetween, a guideway in said first side member, an ejection member travelable in said guideway and having a portion extending into said channel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1901 Kendrick 15560 2/1908 Stafford 155l2 

